Eagles
by ShoeQueen
Summary: Jack flies out to visit Sam for a military event and carries with him a small box with something special in it.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not my character. Unfortunately.**

 **This has been languishing on my computer for ages, despite the encouragement of the fantabulous 3StarJen. I figured if I start publishing it, I'll actually finish it, and the spin off I'm also working on.**

 **All mistakes are mine.**

Major General Jack O'Neill sat in a jump seat of a bulky C-17, headed to Colorado Springs. His aide de camp-it still made him chuckle at the thought that he had an aide de camp-Major White had been practically horrified to learn that the only available transport he could find for a 2 star general was a bulky, uncomfortable transport. He'd told Jack he'd check on a first class commercial flight for him, but Jack had declined and said he wasn't too full of himself to take a military cargo plan. What he didn't tell White was that he actually enjoyed flying in C-17's. The feel of the shaking and rumbling beneath him, and the noise of the engine reminded him of his much younger days when he'd actually flown jets, and not just a desk. He knew his job was important, and he didn't hate it quite as much as he thought he would, but he missed the days he flew, and especially his days through the gate with SG-1. He smiled at the thought of his team- _former team_ , he reminded himself for the hundredth time-and all they'd been through together. It hadn't all been fun, with the being shot at, captured, and dying-more than once-but it had been an adventure, and he missed it; missed them.

"Sir," one of the flight crew said, cutting into Jack's musings. "Can I get you anything? We don't have any fancy peanuts or anything, but we've got hot coffee and a few sandwiches if you like."

Jack lifted up a small bag of food Major White had packed, and insisted he take. "I'm good Sergeant, but thank you."

The younger man nodded. "We should be on the ground in about 5 hours, Sir. If you need anything, I'll be in the back."

"Gotcha," Jack told him and watched as the Sergeant walked away, and wondered if he'd ever really been that young. He could barely remember a time his knees didn't ache and creak.

Stretching out his long legs, Jack sighed, and relished in the comfort of the BDUs he'd slipped into before heading out to the runway. Once he'd taken the position as the head of Homeworld Security, he'd been forced into his dress blues every day, and hated the hell out of it. When he settled himself into a more comfortable position-and wondered if perhaps he should have taken that commercial flight after all-he patted the cargo pocket on his right leg, again, to reassure himself that the small box was still there. Settling back with the bag White had packed, and rooted around for the junk food he knew was hidden under all of the healthy stuff on top. When he found two donuts and a bear claw, he pulled one out, then opened the thermos of coffee White had also pressed on him, and sat back to enjoy the food Carter wouldn't let him have. Carter. Just thinking her name made him grin like a teenager in the first throws of a major crush. What they had was far more than that, though. After all the years of waiting to be together, what they had defied words, logic, and realities.

When he finished off the second donut, he leaned his head back against the mesh, closed his eyes, and used his years of training to fall asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter sat on the sofa of her small house, nursing a cup of hot tea, trying to concentrate on a science program on the TV. Normally she took a twisted sort of pleasure in snorting at the 'science' they presented, and wished she could tell at least someone the truth. Someone other than Rodney McKay-that irritating jerk-that is. Instead of paying attention to the show though, her eyes kept straying to the clock on her mantle. His plane was due to touch down within the next half hour, but it would be at least two hours before he could make it to her house. He'd have to talk to General Landry for a bit to go over some business, and then would probably be waylaid by Daniel, who'd whine about not getting a permanent assignment to Atlantis, before Teal'c dragged him away, knowing Jack was eager to be somewhere else.

Since her promotion was the following day, Jack had told her to stay home and wait, as he would be thoroughly distracted by her presence, unable to make a coherent sentence, and would quite possibly throw her on the briefing room table right there in front of everyone. She didn't mention that she'd fantasized about that since their very first meeting. She still held out hope that maybe one day they still might make that fantasy come true.

Glancing back at the clock, she noticed that exactly 2 minutes had passed. Groaning with impatience, she decided a run, followed by a hot bath would help the time pass. She went to her room, and quickly changed into her running gear, then headed out the door, to run her usual route, and maybe a bit further to help eat up some more time.

Forty-five minutes later, Sam was back and ran a hot bath she'd added fragrant oils to. Sliding in, sighed as the tension drained from her muscles. She had just under an hour before he would most likely arrive, and decided she could allow herself thirty minutes to soak, and think about seeing him again. It had been two very long months since they'd been together. They'd both tried to schedule a time to fly to the other, but between his job, and hers, they hadn't been able to get it to work out. She knew that if it weren't for the ceremony, they still wouldn't be seeing each other for two more weeks, when she was on leave. Two more weeks might not sound like much, but for her, every day they were apart felt like a year. She missed him so much it physically hurt, and that actually frightened her. She had never been so dependent on a man before, but then she'd never had a man like Jack O'Neill. She smiled at the thought of him being hers. After all those years of waiting and sacrificing, they'd finally been able to be together, and despite the distance, the past two years had been the happiest of her life. There were days when she thought they'd been foolish to waste so many years, when one of them could simply have asked to be reassigned to another team, but being together on SG-1 is what made them so strong. They had a foundation of trust, and on that they had built everything they shared now.

When she realized how much time she'd soaked, Sam got out, dried herself, then applied a luxurious body oil Jack had gotten her. She knew he loved the scent and the feel of it on her skin. Her body gave a slight shiver at the thought of his hands running across her body. "Keep it together, Sam," she said aloud.

She dressed in a pair of jeans, and a light blue sweater. He'd told her he loved when she wore blue, because it made her eyes even brighter. She'd told him she liked him in blue too, because it made him look even sexier. She _didn't_ tell him she liked him in blue because she'd conjure him in a pair of khakis, and a blue shirt-the shirt she'd deemed the 'blue shirt of sex,' for some inexplicable reason-back when she'd had a concussion, and had been trapped alone on the ship. Of course Jack didn't look bad in any color, and in her opinion looked even better out of everything.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still not mine, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Thanks for the comments and follows. I appreciate it!

It gets a wee bit spicy.

* * *

Despite the offer of a driver, Jack drove himself to Sam's house. Since he'd gotten his second star, everyone seemed to think he'd become completely helpless. He had to assure his staff over and over that he didn't need a driver at all times, a personal shopper, a grocery store delivery service, or a cook, though he did agree to the maid. He reminded them several times that he had been in the field, and taking care of day-to-day stuff, long before any of them even dreamed of joining the Air Force. That didn't seem to matter though, as they continued to press more and more 'convenience' services on him.

When he pulled into the driveway of Sam's small house, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He was home. Not necessarily the house, but home, because wherever Sam was was home to him. Switching off the ignition, he sat quietly for a moment, and watched as Sam's shadow passed by a window several times. While he couldn't see her, he knew exactly what she was doing, because it's what he did when he was waiting for her, pacing. Just the thought made him chuckle. He got out, and walked up the path to her small front porch. He was just about to raise his hand to knock-he had keys, but felt weird using them for some reason-when the door flew open, and his arms were full of Carter. Walking her backward into the house, he slammed the door with his foot, while his mouth and hands were otherwise occupied with the woman in front of him.

After several moments of tangled mouths and limbs, he pulled away for air. He rested his forehead against hers. "Hi," he said.

"Hi, yourself," she replied, her lips a mere fraction from his.

He nipped at her lip, then said, "If I'd known that was how you were going to greet me, I'd have told Landry he could shove the 'gate for all I cared, and rushed straight here."

"I wish you had," she told him. Stepping back, she took his hand and pulled him behind her to the rarely use dining room.

Jack lifted his eyebrows. "So, the dining room, not the bedroom? Aren't we in a mood," he teased.

Sam rolled her eyes as she laughed. "Bedroom later," she promised. "I thought we could have some wine, and a bite to eat. I'm sure you ate nothing but junk since you left DC. White thinks he's smart, but I'm onto him."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She snorted. "Right."

He sat in one of the chairs, and took the glass of red wine she offered. He knew there was no beer in the house, as she'd decided last year that he needed more than pizza and beer. Still, the wine was delicious, and the company even more so. On the table, he saw a loaf of crusty bread, soft cheeses, fruits, and a tomato mozzarella salad that he could never remember the name of, but knew he liked. "Nice," he told her, placing a few pieces of food on a plate. So, is there pie for dessert?"

She gave him a slow, sexy smile that went straight to Jack's groin. "There's dessert, but it's not pie."

He gave her an appreciative head to toe look. "You know, pie might just be overrated."

They chatted about day-to-day things they couldn't discuss with anyone else as they ate, but neither could deny their need for each other much longer. Jack declared he'd had enough, and grabbed the some of the dishes from the table, depositing them quickly in the kitchen. Sam followed with the remaining dishes. She could see his impatience matched her own, but decided to tease him just a bit longer. Picking up a towel, and spray bottle of cleaner, she tossed him a wink, and went to wipe off the table. She made sure to lean as far over the table as she could while wiping it, to give him a good view of her backside, that she wiggled more than necessary. Hearing him groan, she smiled, then let out a squeak when he wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her up against his lean, muscled form.

Jack knew exactly what she was doing, and played along for a few minutes, but seeing her gorgeous six actually wiggling in front of him was something he could only take for so long. He pulled her to him, and nibbled on the back of her neck in a way that he knew drove her crazy. When she let out a husky sigh, he moved one hand under the hem of her sweater, then up to cup her breast. Her nipples were already hard to the touch, and he knew he couldn't wait much longer to have her. When her head fell back, he moved his tongue to flick just behind her ear then tugged gently on the lobe with his teeth.

"Jack," she moaned, as he ran the pad of his thumb across her sensitive nipple. She was already on fire with just a touch.

"Samantha," he drawled her name out softly against her ear in the way only he could. "Is there something I can do for you?"

She flipped herself around in his arms, so that they were facing each other, and kissed him. He tasted of wine and the undeniable promise of amazing sex. "Yes, in fact there is," she said, pulling out of the kiss. "You can take me to the bedroom, and strip my clothes off."

Jack should have known better than to think he couldn't become any harder. He growled against her neck. Scooping her up, he deposited her on the edge of the table. "The bedroom is so far away," he told her, as he pulled her sweater up and over her head. He tossed it aside, and stared at her perfectly formed breasts, encased in a thin layer of blue lace. He let out a groan as he leaned in and licked one through the lace. "I think right here is the perfect spot," he said, his breath hot against her damp skin. "In fact," he told her, moving to lick the other one, "I don't know why we never thought of this before."


	3. Chapter 3

**Pure smut!**

Sam's back arched, pushing her now aching breasts toward his mouth. She marveled at the fact that it didn't matter if they'd been apart a month, a week, or even a day, her body always responded to his touch with the same intensity. A simple flick of his tongue, through her bra made her wet and ready for him.

"Jack," she whispered, her hands tangling in the soft, silver hair on his head. "I don't want to wait. I need you."

She could feel his smile, even if she couldn't see it. "Anxious, are we?"

"Very," she told him, as she wrapped her long legs around his waist, pulling him into V between her thighs, and pressed against his erection.

"Mmmmm…" she heard him against the flesh of her breast. "We may have to do something about that."

Using one hand, Jack deftly flicked open the clasp of her bra. He pulled away, and gave her a huge grin, as the lace slid down, exposing what he considered the most flawless breasts any man could hope to see. "Still got it," he told her, a lopsided grin on his face.

"You certainly do," Sam agreed, sliding the straps of the bra down her arms, and tossing it to the side. "And I would very much like for you to give it to me."

Jack gave a soft chuckle. "Yes ma'am." Leaning in to her exposed breasts, he took one rosy nipple in his mouth, suckling it for a moment before pulling away slightly. He blew across her damp skin and watched as her nipple became even harder, then took it between his teeth, tugging it ever so slightly. She moaned his name when he repeated the movements on her other nipple.

"Samantha," he drawled against her smooth skin, kissing and licking his way back up her body until her found her mouth, and took it again in a deep, languid kiss.

"I can't wait any more," she gasped against his lips. She reached a hand down and began popping the buttons of the khakis he'd changed into before leaving the mountain. She slid the zipper down and cupped him, causing a groan to escape his lips. He was hard, and her mouth watered at the thought of tasting him. That would have to wait for another time, though. Right now, all she wanted was to have him slide into her, and make her forget the world outside of pure pleasure existed.

Despite the fact that it meant her hand would have to release his cock, Jack dislodged her legs from his waist and took a slight step back. When Sam tilted her head in question, he gave her a deliciously sexy grin. His hands moved to her jeans, which he promptly unzipped and, along with lacy blue underwear that matched her discarded bra, slid them down her long legs, letting them fall to the floor. He took a moment to appreciate the vast expanse of skin that was now exposed to him. No matter how many times he saw her like this, he'd never get over the perfection she presented.

Sam involuntarily shifted her hips upward at his appraisal. He looked like walking sex, and she knew what he could do to her. She reached out, and grasped him again. He was rigid and heavy. She smiled when his eyes closed, and he tipped his head back a fraction, releasing a breath. "Unbutton your shirt," she told him. Rubbing her hand up and down his length, she watched as he undid the buttons as quickly as his fingers could move, given what she was doing to him. When his torso was exposed, she ran her other hand up the muscles of his stomach and chest, then leaned in to lick one of his nipples. He pushed her back and quickly shed his own trousers and underwear.

Sam's mind went blank at the sight in front of her. Despite working at a desk all day, Jack O'Neill had not lost the sinewy muscles that rippled under his skin with every move. He'd constantly told her he was too old, but he was in better shape than men 20 years younger than he was. "Mmmm…"

Jack raised an eyebrow as he stepped towards her again, settling between her naked thighs. "See something you like?" He asked in a husky voice. He rolled a nipple between his long fingers, while he ran his other hand up and down her hip and thigh, coming perilously close to her hot core, but never quite touching it.

"Oh, yeah," Sam said exhaling the words. "Something I like very much." She scooted forward on the table, until she was almost at the edge. Her slick folds came in contact with his hard cock, and he let out his own sound of pleasure. "Something I'd very much like to have." She pressed her hips forward, causing delicious friction in just the right place.

Jack narrowed his eyes. It was rare that he had Samantha Carter at his mercy and begging, and he planned to take complete advantage of it. "Lie back," he told her. When she hesitated, he added, "Do I need to make it an order, Carter?"  
"No, Sir," Sam said. While they usually kept their personal lives and their private lives separately, she did occasionally find it incredibly hot when he used his CO voice. Leaning back on her elbows, she sighed as he ran his hands slowly up her thighs. Her sigh turned into a groan of frustration when, instead of touching her aching core, he slid them back down. She arched up, trying to meet his hand. "Jack."

"Patience," he told her in a husky voice. His own body was aching for her, but he held himself in check.

"I don't have any at the moment," she pouted.

Jack leaned in and sucked a taut nipple deep into his mouth before biting it just enough that it was more pleasure than pain. Releasing it with a pop, he paid similar attention to her other nipple. Her moan was one of desire, but quickly turned into one of frustration as her hips pressed upward against him. Deciding to give her what she wanted, he slid his hand up, and stroked her soft, wet folds. She hissed at the contact, and bucked up against his hand, trying to direct his touch. "Easy," he told her. His long fingers moved in sure, measured strokes bringing her closer to the bliss she knew he could give her.

"Ja-ack," she moaned, moving her hips in time with his fingers. "Oh, God, yes." When the pleasure became too intense, her elbows gave out and she collapsed flat on the table.

Jack nearly exploded at the sight laid out in front of him. Jesus, but she was gorgeous. Hooking his arms under her knees, he pulled her toward him, until she was at the very edge of the table, and her hot flesh was pressed up against his throbbing cock. Releasing her knees, he brought both of her feet up to rest on his shoulders and hissed when she slid one down, snaking a leg around his waist pulling him even closer.

Jack reached down, grasped his hard member, and began rubbing it slowly up and down the silky flesh between her legs.

Sam rocked upward at the contact. "Yeeessss…" she hissed as he moved himself quicker. Her hips bucked with each movement, drawing her closer and closer to the release she sought. She felt like a live wire with electricity arcing across her body with each stroke. When he began rubbing the tip in a circular motion around her clit, she was sure the electricity had set her on fire. She reached over her head and wrapped her fingers around the edged of the table. "Jack," she gasped. "Yes…yeeesss…" She was creeping closer and closer to the edge of bliss, her mind devoid of everything but him and the pleasure he made her feel. "Oh…oh…yes…"

Jack watched her writhe under his caress. Her smooth, creamy skin was developing a thin sheen of sweat, and he leaned in, licking a trail from her stomach to the valley between her breasts. "Carter…Sam…" he murmured against her warm flesh. Knowing he was reaching the end of his own rope, he released his own cock, and rocked his hips forward to keep it pressed against her swollen clit. If he weren't so close to bursting, he'd taken the swollen bud in his mouth and suck the orgasm from her body. As that wasn't an option at the moment, he continued to put pressure on it as he used his long fingers to part her and stroked her inner depths with slow swipes. He knew just the right spots and felt the shaking deep inside her that meant she was close. Jack rocked his hips harder against her causing delicious friction between the head of his aching cock and her clit, and swirled two fingers inside her dripping channel. The muscles of her legs began trembling, and he smiled a satisfied grin. Watching Samantha Carter, who'd blown up suns and taken out system lords, reach the height of pleasure was the most amazing thing he'd ever been privileged to see. "Samantha," he drawled her name out, his lips grazing one nipple.

Sam was caught up in a whirlwind of sensation. She almost laughed at the sheer pleasure he gave her. It was so good it was almost too much. Almost. In her mind she could see his long, slender fingers running over her wet slit, and sliding in and out of her body. She'd spent years staring at his hands, and imagining what they could do to her, but even her wildest imaginings were nothing compared to the actual feel of them on her skin. He pushed them deeper inside her, stroking and swirling them around in an effort to send her over the edge. She rocked her hips in time with his, desperately seeking relief from the frenzied desire coiling in her body. "Jack," she gasped between bolts of pleasure. "I need you. I need you inside me."

"Almost," he assured her, his mouth still skimming across her heated flesh. "Come for me," he told her in a low voice. "Come for me, Samantha. Let me see you."

His words were too much. Her body began vibrating, first low in her belly, then spreading through her limbs and into her groin. Her leg muscles, which had just begun to shake, now quivered as the wave swept powerfully through her. "Jack," she yelled. Her head tilted back as her body moved violently against his. "Jack! Yeeessss. Oh…god. Yes…Jack…yes, yes. I'm going to come!" Fire swept through her, blazing a path to her core, where it erupted and shattered into a million tiny flames. "JACK! Oh, oh, oooohhhh!"

At the first internal tremor, Jack quickly removed his fingers, and drove deep into her shuddering body with a groan. Leaning over, he braced himself over her and began moving in a steady rhythm. Sam slid her foot from his shoulder and wrapped it around his back, using the leverage to propel him harder into her. Her orgasm was still pulsing around him, the muscles pumping his aching cock. "Sam," he rasped. "Sam…I…mmmmmmm…"

Releasing the table, Sam grabbed his arms, her short fingernails digging into his biceps. She rocked her body up against his, matching his rhythm and pace. She was still convulsing from the first orgasm when she felt another building. "Ah, yes!" She slipped her hand between them and pressed a finger against her clit, then began rubbing in frantic circles. It took only a few movements before her next orgasm exploded, causing her head to tilt back, and his name to come screaming from her lips.

Jack felt her second orgasm shoot through his own body. The muscles of her inner walls were gripping him and convulsing around him as he moved in and out of her dripping passage. He loved being inside of her as she came. It was hot and hard, and the muscles pulled him deeper and deeper, squeezing him as he moved in and out. As he pumped himself into her body, his pace became punishing and rough. The satisfied moan that came from her told him she didn't mind. He felt her hand move from her own body to reach under them. When she wrapped a hand around his sac and began pumping him, he tumbled over the edge, his own orgasm spilling into her. "Sam," he cried. Her body was still trembling, and he felt like she was milking every last drop of come from him. When he stopped trembling, he dropped his forehead to her damp chest. They were both breathing heavily. While her body had stopped convulsing around him, she had a few of what he termed aftershocks that shot pleasure through him as her body momentarily squeezed him while he was still buried inside her. He let out a small hum of breath each time it happened. When he decided she was through, he slid himself from her body. "Carter," he said as he kissed his way up her chest, stopping to flick each nipple with his tongue, before making it to her lips. "That was-"

"Yes, it was," she cut him off with a smile.

Jack chuckled. "You know, it's not the briefing room table, but it certainly worked for me."

Sam tangled her hands in his silver hair. "Briefing room table?"

"Yep," he said nodding against her neck. "I've had so many fantasies about taking you right there on that table." Sam snorted. "What?" He asked, raising his head up to look into her sparkling blue eyes. "You've never had fantasies about the briefing room table?"

"From the moment I first saw you leaning across it," she admitted.

A slow smile spread across Jack's face. "Really? Captain Carter had the hots for her new CO? I'm scandalized."

"You'd be really scandalized then if I told you how many times I fantasized crawling under the briefing room table, then."

"Under?"

She nodded, and licked her lips. "Oh, yeah. Sometimes I'd consider dropping something on the floor so I could crawl under it and get my mouth around you."

Jack's eyes widened. "I feel like I've missed an opportunity."

Tilting her head, she gave him a grin. "I don't know, maybe we could try it with this table one day and see how that works."

Jack groaned as his cock twitched. "You're going to be the death of me, you know." He pushed up from the table then reached down to bring her up toward him. "At least it will be a slow, pleasurable death."

"No way," she told him, poking him in the chest with a finger. "I've got years worth of fantasies to fulfill. You're not going anywhere any time soon. Got that?"

"Look at you, you don't even have your eagles on yet, and you're already acting like an arrogant colonel."

"I learned from the best," she returned.

"So you did." Stepping back, he helped her sit up fully.

Sam placed her palms on his chest. "I wouldn't want to break tradition now would I?"

"No, ma'am."

Sam pushed him forward slightly and jumped off the table. Her legs were still wobbly, but in the just had amazing sex way. "I need to shower. It seems we've made a bit of a mess here. Perhaps you should clean it up on your own this time. If you get done while I'm still in the shower, I might have a few places that need a good cleaning too."

He gave her a sloppy salute. "Yes, ma'am."

 **TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for the long delay in updating this! The Muse took a very, very long vacation. Hopefully she'll stick around for a while so I can finish this, and a few others I have in the works. Thanks for your patience.**

* * *

Sam was grinning as she stood in the dining room after her shower, and looked at the clothes strewn across the floor. Jack had joined her in the shower, and had been far too occupied to bother cleaning up their discarded clothes. Her bra hung from the back of a chair reminding her how he'd tossed it aside. She felt a small shiver run through her at the thought. She was certain she'd never be able to look at the table the same way again. She'd probably have flashbacks to it every time she sat at it. She decided that might not be a bad thing.

Leaning over to scoop up the clothes, she closed her eyes briefly at the delightful tenderness between her legs. The sound of something hitting the floor made her open them again. She couldn't see anything, and muttered as she crouched down. The tenderness was definitely delightful. A small black box, about 2 inches square, all the way around, was under the table. The sound of her heart suddenly pounded in her ears. She closed her hand around it, and stood. It was definitely the size of a ring box. They'd talked about the possibility of marriage a few times, but neither pressed the idea. Holding the small cube in her hands, she felt something bubble in her chest that she couldn't quite define. It felt like hope, fear, excitement, and panic all in one quick rush.

Jack whistled as he walked into the room. She turned toward him, box in hand, and stared dumbly at him.

"Oh, damn," he said, when he saw what she was holding. "I meant that to be a surprise." When she said nothing, he waved his hand slightly. "Well, since you found it, you might as well go ahead and open it."

Sam blinked at him a few times. "Open it?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly. "You…want…me to open it?"

"Sure." Jack stepped a little closer to her, looked down at the box, then back at her. "I hope you like it, and don't mind that it's a bit presumptuous."

"Presumptuous?" She repeated, thinking she was starting to sound a bit like a parrot repeating everything he said.

He shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, you may not like…" He trailed off, before quickly continuing. "If you don't, it's okay. I mean, I'll understand. I guess it's not that big of a deal, I just…Cripes, Carter, just open the box."

Sam's throat constricted as she lifted the lid. Instead of the velvet box she thought she'd find, there was a small wad of crumpled up tissue paper. Her brow furrowed as she glanced up at Jack. She noted his jaw was clenched slightly, and his eyes were guarded. Looking back down, she lifted the paper. Two shiny silver colonel's eagles were nestled among more paper.

Jack reached in and pulled one of the eagles out, and stared at it thoughtfully. Sam noted the myriad of emotions that crossed his face, as he ran the pad of his thumb across the surface.

"Jack?" She whispered.

He brought his eyes up to hers and gave her a sad smile, before looking down at the eagle in his hand. "These were mine. My first pair. Charlie…Charlie pinned them on to me at my ceremony. He was so little, but took it so seriously. He even wanted to practice the night before. I remember bending down over and over so he could get it right. Sara kept telling him he needed to go to bed, or he'd be too tired, but he begged to try just a few more times. When it came time for the pinning, he did it perfectly. He was so proud of himself. Of course he was exhausted later, and fell asleep during the party, but I'll never forget the look on his face when he got the pins to push through. Charlie would love you if he were…well… I thought…maybe, you might like to use them at your ceremony. If you don't want to, I understand, but-"

Sam covered his hand with her. "I would be honored," she told him quietly. He eyes shimmered with unshed tears at the thought of what he was offering her. It was more than a ring, or a promise. He was offering her every part of himself.

* * *

 **When our older son was 5, he pinned Mr. SQ's rank for the first time. He was ridiculously proud of himself, and even practiced the night before, so he would get it just right. I drew on this memory for Jack's memory about Charlie pinning him.**

 **The party Jack mentions after his pinning ceremony is something that is generally expected of officers, and higher ranking enlisted. For a Col pinning, this would have been a big deal. There is usually something directly after the pinning, for the people at the office, that would include food, non-alcoholic drinks, and a cake. After that, the newly ranked up service member would have a party for friends, and those he works with close to his rank, and higher. These can take place at the service member's house, a rented hall or party room at a restaurant. There is more food, most of the time alcohol, and another cake. I've done, and been to, several of these, and they range from a backyard cookout, to a sit down dinner, to a formal cocktail party (those are usually put on by 2+ star generals, IME). Most opt for something casual and fun. I'm fairly certain both Sam, and Jack, would do a backyard cookout (hopefully with someone other than Jack manning the grill), after their office celebration.**


End file.
